Harris cautiously rolls out policy, aiming to outmaneuver Trump and address 2020 liabilities
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to outmaneuver former President Donald Trump and address old vulnerabilities on her policy positions as she starts to fill in how she would govern if elected in November. After four years of following President Joe Biden’s lead, Harris is taking a cautious approach to unveiling a policy vision in her own right. Asked by reporters on Saturday when she would unveil her policy platform, Harris promised more details this week and added, “It’ll be focused on the economy and what we need to do to bring down costs and also strengthen the economy overall.”
Trump and Musk talk about assassination attempt and deportations during glitchy chat on X
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump recounted his assassination attempt in vivid detail and promised the largest deportation in U.S. history during a high-profile return to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The conversation with X’s owner Elon Musk was plagued by technical glitches. The rare public conversation, which was overwhelmingly friendly, revealed little new about Trump’s plans for a second term. Musk, a former Trump critic, said the Republican nominee’s toughness, as demonstrated by his reaction to last month’s shooting, was critical for national security. Trump said, “I need an Elon Musk — I need somebody that has a lot of strength and courage and smarts.”
Israel-Hamas war latest: Iran rejects European leaders’ call to refrain from any retaliatory attacks
Iran has rejected a call by three European countries demanding it to refrain from any retaliatory attacks that would further escalate regional tensions. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a joint statement Monday endorsing the latest push by mediators to broker an agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war. The European leaders called for the return of scores of hostages held by Hamas and the “unfettered” delivery of humanitarian aid. They also asked that Iran and its allies to refrain from retaliation that would further escalate regional tensions after the late-July killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Top Ukrainian commander says his forces now control almost 390 square miles of Russia’s Kursk region
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s top military commander says his forces now control 1,000 square kilometers, or 386 square miles, of Russia’s neighboring Kursk region. His statement marked the first time a Ukrainian military official has publicly commented on the gains of the lightning incursion that has embarrassed the Kremlin. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi made the comment in a video posted Monday to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Telegram channel. Russian forces are still scrambling to respond to the surprise Ukrainian attack after almost a week of fierce fighting. Zelenskyy confirmed for the first time that the Ukrainian military is operating inside the Kursk region and praised the country’s soldiers and commanders.
The violence in Bangladesh after Hasina’s ouster stirs fear within the country’s Hindu minority
KHULNA, Bangladesh (AP) — Ever since Bangladesh’s prime minister was forced to step down and fled the country, her supporters and associates have faced retaliatory attacks. Members of the country’s Hindu minority feel the most vulnerable to mob violence because they have traditionally backed the former prime minister’s political party, the Awami League, and because of a history of violence against them during previous upheavals in the Muslim-majority country. A rights group says there have been at least 200 attacks against Hindus and other religious minorities since Aug. 5. Yet experts caution it is hard to establish the motivations behind the violence.
Why Trump’s and Harris’ proposals to end federal taxes on tips would be difficult to enact
If nothing else, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris agree on one thing, at least: Both say they want to eliminate federal taxes on workers’ tips. But experts say there’s a reason Congress hasn’t made that change already. It would be complicated, not to mention enormously costly to the federal government, to enact. It would encourage many highly paid workers to restructure their compensation to classify some of it as “tips” and thereby avoid taxes. And, in the end, it likely wouldn’t help millions of low-income workers. Both candidates unveiled their plans in Nevada, a state with one of the highest concentrations of tipped service workers in the country.
News outlets were leaked insider material from the Trump campaign. They chose not to print it
Three news outlets were recently leaked confidential material from inside the Trump campaign, but have chosen not to reveal any of the details about what they received. The leak stands in marked contrast to the Wikileaks episode of the 2016 presidential campaign, when the website leaked material from inside the Hillary Clinton campaign that had been exposed through a Russian hack. This time, three outlets received material that included the campaign’s internal vetting report on vice presidential candidate JD Vance. The source is unclear; the Trump campaign says it is an Iranian hack. There’s also some question about how newsworthy the material actually is.
Older Americans prepare themselves for a world altered by artificial intelligence
NORTHFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Older adults are grappling with how artificial intelligence is changing the world. The technology offers them significant benefits, from the ability to curb loneliness to making it easier to get to medical appointments. But it also has drawbacks that could be particularly dangerous for older people. A series of studies have found that senior citizens are more susceptible to both scams perpetrated using artificial intelligence and believing the types of misinformation that are being supercharged by the technology. To learn more about how AI works, seniors are taking classes to figure out how AI is transforming their world — and the threat it poses.
Russian artist released in swap builds a new life in Germany, now free to marry her partner
KOBLENZ, Germany (AP) — Sasha Skochilenko and Sofya Subbotina are planning to get married. That wasn’t an option in their home country of Russia but is possible now that they live in Germany, where same-sex marriage is permitted. Skochilenko was jailed in Russia for speaking out against the war in Ukraine and was part of a historic East-West prison swap this month. She also protested laws restricting LGBTQ+ rights that have been on the books for over a decade and intensified since the war began. It was part of the Kremlin’s campaign for “traditional values,” fueled by its anti-Western views and close ties to the Russian Orthodox Church.
In one region of Senegal, girls can become wrestlers — and win. But only until marriage
MLOMP, Senegal (AP) — In Senegal, wrestling is a national sport. Professional wrestling draws thousands to stadiums and can be a catapult to international stardom. But wrestling has remained off-limits for women. There is one exception. In the southern Casamance region, home to the Jola ethnic group, women traditionally wrestle alongside men — at least until they get married. Isabelle Sambou became a professional wrestler who represented Senegal at the Olympic Games in London and Rio de Janeiro. She now trains a new generation of female wrestlers in her village and dreams that one will win the Olympic gold that eluded her.
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